Rally Chaser http://www.rallychaser.com/ en Copyright 2008 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:37:28 +0100 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.2 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Road Trip with Des With the event over - and everyone has probably seen the results, with Jonah at 9th and David crashing out -we're tending to team stuff. Jonah would have been on the podium if he hadn't have nailed a couple of penalties. That's racing though; the penalties count. And Cyril! Running out of fuel 100 km from the special stage end? That's almost impossible. Was it sabotage?

Des and I are driving the truck to Nürmburg last night and crashing in a hotel. German hotels are SO CLEAN. Everything just so. The power to the room turns off when you remove your card key. Internet is cheap. Rossa sent me this little gag movie today, and nothing is funnier in Germany than Hitler jokes. Plus I am a GS rider.

It's good to hear a language I can pronounce on my own and often decipher. No complaints about Hungary, of course. I'll be less able to deal with French, as I usually am. This'll be my first time in France actually. But in Germany I can say please, thank you, good morning/day/evening and other things. I am less of a clueless traveler. More empowered.

So the bike has to go to Paris to some guy named Eric, for the Trans-Oriental Rally next month. At six thousand miles, much more of a Dakar than the CER. Then we're off to Calais to take a ferry to England, meeting Sid from Rally Pan Am, and maybe someone named Giles if we're in London soon enough to go out on the town. I'm connecting with my own friends in London as well, for a few days before going to Amsterdam to decompress for a couple of weeks. I'll probably try to mix them all together, since I enjoy that kind of social chemistry.

Quick breakfast, back on the autobahn. I'll have some six hours to tag and sort photos, though certainly I'll be quite distracted, between scenery and conversation.

]]> http://www.rallychaser.com/2008/04/road_trip_with_des.html http://www.rallychaser.com/2008/04/road_trip_with_des.html Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:37:28 +0100 Ready for something new yet?
I had a post half done with lots of stats and stuff but it seems to have been lost in the shuffle. I'll do what I can in the time I have - I've been shooting and working with the team and sleeping a few hours per night but that's about it - no time for photo processing or blogging. Our hotel, in Balatonfüred, is amazing in some ways but sucks in the most crucial way of all: no internet! None! So don't plan to be very productive if you hit the Hotel Anabella. To add to that mess, we're 30+ minutes away from the service park, and the press center closes at 9 PM. I would be happy as a clam working from my van outside, but theyturn off the internet at night. As if.

We're in the press center now and just got hushed for our reaction to the following clip, where Roby Gordon's car piles through a curve and nearly plows over an event organizer out on the course.

One might say that this kind of thing is part of what makes this sport so exciting. Things happen. They could happen to you. Hey, I got a ride in one of the race trucks on my first day here...

So, on to the big news for Team Rally Pan Am...

]]> http://www.rallychaser.com/2008/04/ready_for_something_new_yet.html http://www.rallychaser.com/2008/04/ready_for_something_new_yet.html Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:52:10 +0100 Baia Mare, Romania to Debrecen, Hungary Well, here we are. I missed a day and I might try to catch up. Part of the problem was simply having too much work to do, and part was having shot 3000 pictures. I was out on a stage watching the cars, trucks and bikes go by. It's nearly 3 AM. Wake up is at 4 AM to do yet another liaison to special stage one, Veszprem, east and a wee bit south of Budapest.

As usual, there are some stories from the day, as well as a killer set of image pages culled from several hundred photos shot on the day. I took a lot at the start of special stage two as well as the liaison. Look for great shots of some of the stars, wheelies, and general good times. There will not be a test.

]]> http://www.rallychaser.com/2008/04/baia_mare_romania_to_debrecen.html http://www.rallychaser.com/2008/04/baia_mare_romania_to_debrecen.html Wed, 23 Apr 2008 02:41:58 +0100 In Transylvania Baia Mare, Transylvania, Romania, is a pretty big town of 140,000 people or so. Romania has the same cool plastic money that Australia has. The language sounds kind of pretty and reminds me of Italian. The little houses in the country, as old and run down as some can get, are still really pretty. It's 2 AM and I have to be up at 4 again. I don't mind but I am finally getting loopy. But we're racing!!

Before I forget, here is today's photo gallery!

So today in Budapest was the big start. Then there was a 60k special stage which dumped out into service park one. Another, smaller stage and then we had a 400 km liaison. To keep David from having to ride it, we yanked the seats out of my rented van and shoved the KTM 690 Rally into it. David got some good rest. We had to be there by a certain time, though the time is picked so that everyone has enough to make it. It is possible to lose during a liaison though. And carrying a bike, how great! I was told in no uncertain terms that we had a bike and a rider to get someplace on time.

]]> http://www.rallychaser.com/2008/04/in_transylvania.html http://www.rallychaser.com/2008/04/in_transylvania.html Mon, 21 Apr 2008 01:32:05 +0100 Scrutineering Well, I saw the sun rise. It was beautiful, and it's only now (fifteen hours later) that I'm finally tired. But I'm really, really tired. Today had some sustained excitement. I'm going to have to run it down kind of quickly. I'll first mention that I put a lot of detail into captions in the gallery pages so make sure to check 'em!

Tonight is the big press conference. I have a press pass and an assistance/team pass, so I could go. It's a big to-do, with in-ear translations like at the UN. I'd love to go, but then I'd die. Kinda feel like I'm failing at my job a bit, but c'est la vie. I've got to DRIVE tomorrow.

Breakfast was at 7. The food here doesn't suit me at all. I don't eat meat (except fish) and don't like cheese. One of the big items here is grilled goose liver with red onion jelly. Seriously.

After that the Rally Pan Am team went out for a photo. A little clowning around and really laid back, but I got the impression that it's always done and to me that is a ritual. Rituals are good things, especially for teams. I was even in one of 'em, and that was nice.

]]> http://www.rallychaser.com/2008/04/scrutineering.html http://www.rallychaser.com/2008/04/scrutineering.html Sat, 19 Apr 2008 19:22:28 +0100 Arrival in Budapest It's nearly 5 AM. My flight from Dublin was late, the Aer Lingus board said two hours. OK, I thought, I can deal. I went to a bar thing with a hotspot and logged in. Got chatting with some lads. They knew I was going to Budapest. In the middle of a conversation about Iggy Pop, one looked up in that I-just-heard-the-PA motion and said "Budapest, isn't that you? Last call." I flung my MacBook closed and hauled ass outta there, hearing my name announced on the PA. Jesus.

It turned out that a plane came in so they moved the departure time up. I guess they do that. Now I know. Anyway, I made the flight.

SNAFU with the rental car but AutoEurope and Europcar totally fixed it. Kinga at the counter is a total cutie. I drove off in the passenger van, hoping I can call tomorrow to get a cargo van because Rally Pan Am wants me to haul a bike during a liaison stage. Ain't that a kicker?

]]> http://www.rallychaser.com/2008/04/arrival_in_budapest_1.html http://www.rallychaser.com/2008/04/arrival_in_budapest_1.html Sat, 19 Apr 2008 04:49:40 +0100 Writing on a plane with sleep-dep Expanding on the previous in-the-airport post. This should
introduce the blog, the project, the hack. As I arrive on
the scene, and as the race starts, these posts will be heavier
on the newsy-sportsy coverage even though some of the funk
will remain of course. I seek news, images, sounds and stories
with a flavor of pleasing distinction. Also, I haven't slept more
than two hours in the last day and a half, so please forgive
sentences like that previous one.

]]> http://www.rallychaser.com/2008/04/writing_on_a_plane_with_sleepd.html http://www.rallychaser.com/2008/04/writing_on_a_plane_with_sleepd.html Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:47:30 +0100 Departure! Well, I'm in SFO! Good stuff. Aer Lingus to Dublin, 24 hour layover, then on to Budapest to get the giant Ford Transit rental van. Meet up with Miro, my travel partner. He's shooting for Shawn's project. We'll get all the starts, for sure.

Too bad I'll miss the Volkswagen rollout, Mark Miller et all.

Ok, boarding begins!

]]> http://www.rallychaser.com/2008/04/departure_1.html http://www.rallychaser.com/2008/04/departure_1.html Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:54:24 +0100 San Francisco, California My flight leaves in a week. It's been quite a journey, planning the trip to Africa only to have the event cancelled. Political discussions followed as family & friends heard the news that the Africa event was cancelled until further notice. I'm saddened by the missed opportunity to cross northwest Africa, but excited for the South America event scheduled for January 2009. It's a new event for everyone, and out of that kind of chaos comes good stories.

Before the rally was cancelled, I attended a kickoff party for Team Rally Pan America at the historic San Francisco Motorcycle Club clubhouse on Folsom Street, just blocks from my home. The team was there with news and goodies, and I even won a slick Motion Pro chest protector in the fundraiser raffle. People had come from as far away as Seattle to wish the team well. After some beer, munchies and lots of gawking at the team's race-prepped KTM 690 Rally, RPA's Charlie Rauseo spoke about the team. Team rider Jonah Street also took the stage and answered questions from the crowd. There are a tremendous number of fans of rally-raid in North America and nearly no coverage of the sport in which we can keep informed. The Rallychaser project intends to help fill this void.

]]> http://www.rallychaser.com/2008/04/san_francisco.html http://www.rallychaser.com/2008/04/san_francisco.html Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:26:11 +0100